I wondered about Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara, how could I not, it’s everywhere, even my Mom said I should try it. But every mascara makes claims, and every mascara had its’ die-hard fans. Many “BIG LASH” mascaras seem like shellac-like lash-clumpers that turn into fallout and flakes. I want full but defined lashes from a mascara that stays put. I’ll shell out the big bucks if it works, but that’s a big IF. Here are our thoughts on Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and how to get the most out of it.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara comes in a regular and waterproof formula

MY FANTASY MASCARA THEORY

I was a big fan of two discontinued Shu Uemura Mascaras, the Basic and the Fiber Extensions. I’ve never really gotten over them and I haven’t found something I ADORED since, but as faithful StyleChicks readers know, we’ve tried plenty of mascaras to forget my long-lost mascara loves. I want it to be BLACK BLACK dark, lengthening and separating, and to be able to keep a curl. I like a major lash, but reasonably natural looking, not a terrible mess of clumps and smudges and flakes.

TOO FACED’S CULT-FOLLOWING

There were the devotees who said this was the best…but I didn’t believe it until became mascara desperate and saw a 2-pack at Ulta that had a full size with a free waterproof mini. It is also $12 for the mini, which is not so little considering the full size is absolutely huge. With Ulta’s amazing return policy, what do you have to lose?

Picked up Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara with a free Waterproof mini on an Ulta haul.

PUTTING TOO FACED BETTER THAN SEX MASCARA TO THE TEST

I found the regular and the waterproof to be very similar, albeit the waterproof seems a little drier, not in a dried out way, just a slightly less wet formula.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara brush has an hourglass shape, clumps tend to accumulate at the tip and require attention to clean

THE WAND: I do like the wand brush that comes with this mascara, and it works well if you do only one coat for the day.

BUT, I prefer to do three VERY thin coats throughout the day, and this way, I get NO clumps and virtually no fallout. I apply first in the morning at home during my typical makeup routine, then a coat before lunch to refresh the curl and add some intensity. Then a fuller, more dramatic lash for dinner and after-hours plans. That sounds like a lot of mascara, but hear me out, it looks natural if applied carefully.

HOW I APPLY TOO FACED BETTER THAN SEX MASCARA

Each coat I do VERY lightly by dipping a disposable mascara wand into the tube just once per eye for both upper and lower lashes. Then I comb through with a dry disposable mascara wand or my trusty MAC or Paula Dorf Mascara Fan Brush.

FIRST COAT: Thin first coat, lashes feel soft, it is difficult to hold a curl, but it is fine for the morning in the office, gives the effect of tight-lining the upper lashes

SECOND COAT: A midday quick one-stroke coat to refresh for lunch plans.

THIRD COAT: A final third coat before dinner plans gives GIANT bombshell eyes. GIANT. For best curl hold all evening, I do a final thin coat of the Waterproof mascara after allowing the final coat to dry, give a quick curl, and the Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara nicely sets the curl.

After application, comb through wet lashes with a dry, clean disposable mascara wand for a well-defined lash finish that won’t clump

Bend a disposable mascara wand for optimal control and to get in close on bottom lashes

The angled bent brush gives the best access to little lashes even in corners

I Forgo eyeliner other than tight lining or upper rim only for when I really want to bring it. Full-on liner is just too much, like crazy eye kind of big eye. If using eyeliner, do so very gingerly, perhaps something with a soft metallic such as a copper or taupe, or a smudge of shadow for some definition.

CONCLUSION

Currently, this is my favorite mascara, I don’t use anything else. At $23 it is a bit steep, but it lasts for as long as one should hold onto a mascara (three months). The $12 mini is not so mini, it can last you a good six weeks to two months.

Lashes can look huge with one coat from the full specially shaped brush, and it is buildable, like how I use it in multiple coats throughout the day. It does not get stiff, so lashes remain workable, but this is more difficult to curl. The waterproof leaves lashes more curl-able, with no discernable difference to me in appearance, only in the feel of the application. I personally found any of the reported Better Than Sex Mascara dupes to be flaky, whereas actually Better Than stays put. It eliminates the need for eyeliner on most days and defines the eye so well, I don’t need much else as far as eye makeup for a dramatic yet natural looking eye.

PROS:

No flaking. I mean none

Dark black that makes eyes look huge

Nice lush looking lashline

CONS:

Removing the mascara at the end of the day. I use safflower oil-soaked cotton pads, let them sit on my closed eyes for about 30 seconds to melt it all, then wash my face. Not dramatically worse than other mascaras, and there is no tugging involved if a proper oil remover is used.

Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara has a thick brush with an hourglass shape